Angry ex-supporters put blame for Gore defeat at Nader's feet

Published: Saturday, December 30, 2000

WASHINGTON {AP} They call him "traitor," "egomaniac" and "fool." Some of Ralph Nader's old battle buddies even call him "politician."

Many of those who fought with Nader on the frontlines for the environment, consumer rights and other liberal causes now say he betrayed them by not ending his presidential run in time to save Al Gore's candidacy. And they say his career as a public advocate is through.

"Who's going to work with him now?" snorted Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., a powerful congressman who once worked with Nader on labor and regulatory issues.

The iconoclast's idol is undergoing the kind of beating he once trademarked, but Nader could care less.

"They were all anesthetized by Clinton, the snake charmer," said the man who described Gore and Bush as "Tweedledum and Tweedledee."

In an interview in his cramped campaign office just blocks from his cramped Washington bachelor's pad Nader sounded the same themes that informed his campaign: the two major parties are beholden to corporate interests, and voters lacked choice.

"The Democrats were moving toward the Republican Party, developing Republican agendas for Republican issues to take Republican voters away," he said.

That elicits moans from his former allies, who agree with him that much was wrong with the Democratic Party but who say differences are real, and now very very evident, thanks to the man they still affectionately call "Ralph."

Each starts by mentioning Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft, whose controversial civil rights record is already dogging his attorney general nomination. They also point to Andrew Card, a former automobile industry lobbyist named as White House chief of staff, and Vice President-elect Dick Cheney's oil industry past.

"We all complained how Clinton gave a green light to industry, but it can be greener," said Ken Cook, who heads the Environmental Working Group.

Nader now concedes that Bush will cause more damage than Gore.

"Bush is probably going to jettison the tobacco lawsuits, and he's not good on energy," he said.

That's a major departure from his insistence that Gore and Bush were two sides of the same coin. Having made the concession, Nader who avoids eye-contact like an oncoming Ford Pinto started scribbling notes to himself, and said a Bush presidency will at least galvanize liberals.

"Oh yeah," Conyers said scornfully. "Now that we're not anesthetized, Ralph, we want to work real close and take instructions from you."

Not all in the advocacy community blame Nader.

Maggie Geist of the Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod blames Gore for straying from his strong pro-environment record in a misguided attempt to win the center.